The soundscape is our acoustic environment, the ever-present noises with which we all live. The author suggests that we now suffer from acoustical overload and are less able to hear the nuances and subtleties of sound. Our task, he maintains, is to listen, analyze and make distinctions in spite of sound pollution.

`By examining each theory through a cultural lens, Human Development Theories provides readers with the unusual perspective of being able to step outside of our own cultural heritage and to view other cultures as being equally viable, reasonable, and comprehensible. . . . The writing is crystal clear, and the author has done a superb job of defining the 25 theories in a way that is at once accessible and stimulating. . . . I would rank Human Development Theories as outstanding' -Ann C. Diver-Stamnes, Department of Education, Humboldt State University, California

Many Americans may believe that religion in the schools is a controversial subject only in the United States. But around the world, the subject has gained widespread notoriety, media coverage, and attention from governing bodies, school administrations, and individuals. In France, conflict erupted when a young girl wore a headscarf to her public school; the government there got involved to reassert the rule that no outward display of religion will be tolerated. In India, a panel was appointed to remove Hindu religious beliefs from high-school textbooks. In Pakistan, the government passed a law to make the curriculum of Islamic religious schools more secular in its approach. Here in the United States, debates abound regarding the Pledge of Allegiance, the posting of the Ten Commandments, prayer in school, and other familiar arguments. But why do these controversies exist? What prompts them? Why do particular conflicts arise, and what attempts are made to deal with them? How have solutions fared? How are the controversies in one country similar to or different from those in another? In Religion in Schools, R. Murray Thomas uses case examples from twelve countries around the world, covering all regions of the world and all the major religions, to examine and answer these questions. He reveals the complexities of the conflicts, and shows what brought them about. For example, in France, the conflicts often arise out of that nation's desire to remain intensely secular. Using case examples and applying a uniform approach to analyzing each country's particular focus on religion and education, he is able to show what these conflicts have in common, how well solutions have worked, and what may lie ahead.

Sex and the American Teenager provides an expert's assessment of the controversies surrounding the sexual development of adolescents, and their beliefs and problems regarding such matters. Using numerous case studies, Dr. Thomas illustrates specific ways that sexual issues arise in school and the variables that impact each case, while suggesting ways parents and school officials can deal with problematic situations. Though not simply statistics-laden, Dr. Thomas's book is replete with information about teenagers who engage in sexual acts, become pregnant, are sexually abused, and contract sexually transmitted diseases. Dr. Thomas also discusses the coping methods teenagers use, and he describes the types of sex education programs in which students are most likely to participate. Dozens of case studies illustrate how problems of students' sexual behavior can differ from one incident to another depending on the teenagers' ages, family backgrounds, school settings, and the culture of the surrounding communities. Thomas concludes the book by summarizing the recent past and speculating about the likely status of sex in schools in the years ahead.

Intended as supplemental reading in courses on theories of development, this book augments traditional core texts by providing students with more depth on about two dozen recent and emerging theories that have appeared over the past 20 years. This period has seen a decline of the traditional "grand" theories that attempt to apply to all people all the time in favor of "micro theories" that focus more on individual differences, so a book like this actually points the way toward the future rather than dryly reviewing the past. In addition, the author inspects the changing ways in which the concept of "theory" itself has been interpreted during this period, and he concludes with a chapter suggesting future directions.

Manitou and God describes American Indian religions as they compare with principal features of Christian doctrine and practice. Thomas traces the development of sociopolitical and religious relations between American Indians and the European immigrants who, over the centuries, spread across the continent, captured Indian lands, and decimated Indian culture in general and religion in particular. He identifies the modern-day status of American Indians and their religions, including the progress Indians have made toward improving their political power, socioeconomic condition, and cultural/religious recovery and the difficulties they continue to face in their attempts to better their lot. Readers will gain a better sense of the give and take between these two cultures and the influence each has had on the other. In Algonquin Indian lore, Manitou is a supernatural power that permeates the world, a power that can assume the form of a deity referred to as The Great Manitou or The Great Spirit, creator of all things and giver of life. In that sense, Manitou can be considered the counterpart of the Christian God. From early times, the belief in Manitou extended from the Algonquins in Eastern Canada to other tribal nations—the Odawa, Ojibwa, Oglala, and even the Cheyenne in the Western plains. As European settlers made their way across the land, the confrontation between Christianity and Native American religions revealed itself in various ways. That confrontation continues to this day.

The problem of violence in schools has not gone away despite radical reductions in violent crimes throughout the country over the last decade. Students continue to harrass, haze, and harm each other in a variety of ways, disrupting classrooms and whole schools. In the wake of the Columbine massacre, many focused on the worst kind of school violence: deadly assaults with dangerous weapons. But other forms of violence are more persistent, common, and just as destructive in many ways: fighting, sexual abuse, carrying weapons to school, vandalism, and assorted other crimes that happen behind the closed doors of elementary, middle, and high schools across the country. The consequences range from violent victimization and death, to the disruption of learning and fear among student bodies and teaching staffs. Here, Thomas provides a foundation for understanding why the violence occurs, preventing it from happening, and treating both offenders and victims after it happens. Using scores of case descriptions to illustrate the types of school violence and their treatment in recent years, the author skillfully shows readers how the problem of violence and crime in schools is an insidious issue that cannot go untreated. He offers both tested and proposed methods for dealing with a host of violence issues and a guide to planning treatment of the problem and its associated consequences. He answers the questions: What are prominent types of violence in American schools? What conditions contribute to those types of violence? What methods can be applied in an effort to reduce school violence? Readers will come away from this book with a greater understanding of the scope of violence in America's schools, and the myriad ways of addressing it.

Offers updated references, a new section on the Internet, and information on plagiarism. Covers the entire writing process: preparation, selecting topics, collecting information, interpreting results, and final presentation.

Turn to Medical Microbiology, 8th Edition for a thorough, clinically relevant understanding of microbes and their diseases. This succinct, easy-to-use text presents the fundamentals of microbiology and immunology in a clearly written, engaging manner-effectively preparing you for your courses, exams, and beyond. Coverage of basic principles, immunology, laboratory diagnosis, bacteriology, virology, mycology, and parasitology help you master the essentials. Review questions at the end of each chapter correlate basic science with clinical practice to help you understand the clinical relevance of the organisms examined. Clinical cases illustrate the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of infectious diseases, reinforcing a clinical approach to learning. Full-color clinical photographs, images, and illustrations help you visualize the clinical presentations of infections. Summary tables and text boxes emphasizing essential concepts and learning issues optimize exam review. Additional images, 200 self-assessment questions, NEW animations, and more. Student Consult eBook version included with purchase. This enhanced eBook experience includes access -- on a variety of devices -- to the complete text, videos, images, and references from the book. Thoroughly updated chapters include the latest information on the human microbiome and probiotics/prebiotics; including a new chapter on Human Microbiome In Health and Disease. NEW chapter summaries introduce each microbe chapter, including trigger words and links to the relevant chapter text (on e-book version on Student Consult), providing a concise introduction or convenient review for each topic. Online access to the complete text, additional images, 200 self-assessment questions, NEW animations, and more is available through Student Consult.